State Attorney Meggs Investigating Lightsey Pension Calculation

TR has learned that State Attorney Willie Meggs is investigating the pension payment calculation of former City Commissioner Debbie Lightsey.

TR reported about the issue in March. Since then the City’s Independent Ethic’s Board took up a complaint but decided not to move forward because the complaint failed “to state a violation of the City’s Ethic Code.”

When presenting her recommendation to the Board, the Ethic Officer Julie Meadows-Keefe stated “No factual investigation preceded this review, and therefore this recommendation does not reflect on the accuracy of the allegations of the Complaint.”

At issue is the difference between the city commissioner salary as defined in the City’s Charter, which is approximately $36,000, and the salary that was used to calculate Ms. Lightsey’s monthly pension. The City used a salary of approximately $58,000 for the pension calculation.

Dr. Erwin Jackson, who filed the original complaint with the Ethics Board, told TR that he talked to Mr. Meggs about the issue a couple of weeks ago.

Meggs told the Tallahassee Democrat that he assigned an investigator to the case and wants to know why former city Commissioner Debbie Lightsey’s retirement benefit is based on a salary higher than what the city’s charter dictates.

Good going Erwin! As.a private citizen, you can also ask that this be brought to a grand jury to review local government actions. A few years ago, i questioned the County’s public statements on the overall cost of the BOA building purchase. With the SA’s assistance and report from an expert witness the County finally admitted the cost being five times its original estimate, however, on the day before it was presented to the grand jury!

I don’t know how the citizens of Tallahassee could survive without the diligence of people like Erwin Jackson, Steve Stewart, Rusty Price, Penny Herman and so many others. I thank you for your efforts in trying to keep our elected officials honest and holding down taxes and unnecessary spending as much as possible.

Terry Ryan you are correct about the County’s purchase of the BOA Building. It is the biggest financial crime
in the history of Leon County. The taxpayers were never told the entire truth or the total cost of the purchase of this white elephant.

The retirement calculations for Lightsey are simply incorrect and done with criminal intent to steal from the taxpayers.

Thanks for all your persistence and effort on this, Mr. Jackson. Let’s hope this first outside-agency investigation into the city’s devious tactics uncovers a multitude of offenses requiring indictment.

While theft is wrong no matter the scale, this is nothing compared to how they are hiding MILLIONS of dollars within the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and claiming they need to raise taxes! I found that citizens are contributing to their retirement fund at astronomical figures!

So, the next time they say they need to raise taxes, tell them to release the hidden money from within the CAFR. Watch the Biggest Game in Town by Walter Burian. Read the article linked. I have brought this issue up to Steve via several phone calls, I have tried to reach Erwin. I talked to Preston Scott about it, and Will Dance. No one will touch it because if you do, you will lose your job!

“Why exactly did the City of Tallahassee, Florida need to put a 5 cent per gallon of gas tax which will go in effect January 2014? They say they need the money, but from what I can see, they have over 259 million in unrestricted assets on the 2012 CAFR! But that is just the beginning:”